ELEN - General Assembly BILBO 2024

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Language activist organizations from across Europe gathered in the Basque Country for the ELEN General Assembly 2024, Europe’s main event for NGOs working for the protection and promotion of European minoritized languages.

The European Language Equality Network (ELEN) held its 2024 General Assembly in the vibrant Basque city of Bilbo from 8th to 10th November hosted by the Basque language NGO and founding member organisation, Kontseilua, and supported by the Basque Government, Bilbao Council, and the Foral Council of Bizkaia.

General Assembly resolutions, where ELEN members vote for action on a particular issue, have become one of the most important parts of the event. This year numerous Resolutions were submitted by member organisations calling for action for Basque, Galician, Catalan, Asturian, Welsh, as well as for action over second “homes” and over-tourism. One of the headlines of the event for the media was the Kontseilua Resolution which outlined how Basque and its community of speakers are in a linguistic emergency. It was supported unanimously by ELEN delegates.

ELEN President Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, ELEN Secretary-General Davyth Hicks, Kontseilua Secretary-General Idurre Eskisabel, and the Vice-Lehendakari of the Basque Country and Minister for Culture and Language Policy, Ibone Bengotexea, opened the event, accompanied by Leixuri Arrizabalaga Arruza (Bizkaia Foral Council) and Eider Inunciaga Serna (Bilbao City Council). All the proceedings were broadcast live on the Basque TV channel https://www.eitb.eus/eu/nahieran/dibulgazioa/elen-batzar-orokorra/6109/«>Euskal Telebista (EiTB).

Vice-Lehendakari Bengoetxea explained that the challenge facing the Basque Government is to make a qualitative leap in the social use of the Basque language. To this end, she listed areas of action such as guaranteeing knowledge, promoting use in leisure, the world of work, the digital world or the need to bring Basque closer to those who do not yet have a relationship with this language as well as to immigrants. “Language is also diversity and working to promote it is also working for greater diversity and therefore, for more democracy”, she added.

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At the end of the opening section the General Assembly held a minute’s silence, led by Kontseilua Secretary-General Idurre Eskisabel, in memory of those who had been killed by the deadly flooding in Pais Valencia and to signal ELEN’s support and solidarity for all those affected by the floods.

ELEN and Kontseilua welcomed a range of expert speakers to what has become the main annual event in Europe for organisations working for the protection and promotion of European minoritised and endangered languages.

This year it featured a plenary speech from Basque expert Kike Amonarriz on the successful Basque language recovery in the town of Tolosa, discussion of the implementation of language “breathing spaces/ arnasguneak” with Miren Segurola from UEMA, and a presentation of the new Welsh Government Report on empowering communities to strengthen the Welsh language by Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones and Richard Glyn Roberts.

Kike Amonarriz’s inspiring presentation discussed what’s become known as the “Tolosa Miracle” where Basque usage in Tolosa jumped from 29% in 1985 to 52% in 2023 according to street surveys, with use between young people tripling. The unique situation that facilitated this increase was due to a variety of factors including realistic, achievable, but ambitious language plans; activities designed to bring people together; and developing the feeling of how promoting and using the language is a celebration. This was achieved by decades of language activism backed by a progressive collaboration with the town council and the villages around Tolosa.

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The theme for the 2024 ELEN General Assembly was “The importance of public policies in the normalisation of minoritised languages” with former ELEN Vice-President Paul Bilbao Sarria opening a session on the topic with speakers from the Council of Europe, Galicia and Fryslan.

The General Assembly started on Friday afternoon November 8th with the new “Research and Activism” section featuring the latest relevant language-orientated research from the Basque Country and elsewhere, as well as marking the success with the new COST Action network on Language Plurality in European media, Plurilingmedia, led by ECMI.

ELEN delegates were welcomed to the Basque Country with a Friday evening civic reception at the Itsas Museum with delegates being addressed by Aitor Aldasoro (Hizkuntza Politikarako sailburuordea), Jabi Arakama (Euskarabidea), Oihane Agirregoitia MEP, and Idurre Eskisabel (Kontseilua). Idurre then introduced a special one-off appearance by two of the Basque Country’s renowned bertsolaris who’s singing, improvisational poetry sent a special message of welcome to the ELEN delegates, as well as underlining the importance of people working to revitalise and recover their language.

The Saturday (November 9th) session focused on NGO work with presentations on successful public policies and language recovery in the Basque Country. The afternoon session featured a presentation from the EU Commission DG Education and Culture, by Senior Expert Anna Solé-Mena, on EU funding for language projects, as well as a workshop with Basque MEPs Pernando Barrena and Oihane Agirregoitia on how to work effectively with the EU institutions.

Saturday also featured a series of workshops for ELEN members. Member organisations from Wales, Cornwall and Illes Balears discussed the impact of over-tourism and 2nd “homes” on minoritised languages. Parallel workshops held discussions on the next steps for the new working group on strategic litigation which followed up on the summer’s ground-breaking conference in Barcelona on strengthening language rights. A separate workshop discussed developing ELEN Youth which featured a presentation from the new HIGA young language activists project.

Delegates welcomed the presentation on Fosterlang, the new Horizon Europe project on fostering linguistic capital in Europe that will launch in May 2025 following a successful project application. The project will be led by the University of Warsaw with several ELEN members as partners as well as numerous opportunities for ELEN members to get actively involved in the project.

In the new members section ELEN welcomed representatives from new candidate members, Cademia Siciliana, the NGO working for the Sicilian language. They made a presentation about the organization and discussed the current situation facing the language and ongoing language revitalization efforts.

This was followed with a special item led by the Council of Armans to remember Elena Mantsu, the Arman language activist who passed away in 2023.

The session closed with an update on the current situation facing the Diwan Breton immersion schools organisation and the Eskolim immersion school network.

ELEN 2024 Resolutions. The final session was dedicated to various Resolutions from ELEN members.

https://elen.ngo/2024/11/12/elen-backs-kontseilua-resolution-that-basque-is-in-a-linguistic-emergency/«>Kontseilua ResolutionELEN voted unanimously in support of the Kontseilua resolution which stated that “Basque and the community of Basque speakers are in a linguistic emergency” given the wide array of threats it faces in each of its territories –Euskadi, Nafarroa and Iparralde.

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https://elen.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Resolution-ACPV-ELEN-2024-Proposta-de-resolucio.pdf«>Acció Cultural del País Valencia Resolution – Proposta de resolucióThe ACPV Resolution called for the repeal of the controversial ‘Llei Rovira’ recently introduced by the PP/Vox-led Valencian Government. The law has had the effect of reducing the usage of Valencian and education in Valencian. Delegates supported the motion unanimously.

https://cymdeithas.cymru/newyddion/rhwydwaith-dros-ieithoedd-lleiafrifol-ewrop-yn-cefnogi-ymgyrch-deddf-eiddo«>Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg ResolutionThe Cymdeithas motion called on the General Assembly to support Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s call on the Welsh Government to take urgent action to tackle the housing crisis and safeguard the future of Welsh communities by introducing a comprehensive Property Act during this Senedd term. The motion was supported unanimously.

https://plataforma-llengua.cat/que-fem/noticies/6275/lorganitzacio-europea-elen-demana-al-govern-espanyol-que-aturi-la-imposicio-del-25-de-castella-a-lescola«>Plataforma per la Llengua ResolutionThe Plataforma motion called on the Spanish Government to take measures to repeal the requirement that 25% of school lessons are conducted in Spanish. The motion passed unanimously.

https://elen.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Motion-Kevre-Breizh-Diwan-GA-2024-Bilbo.pdf«>Kevre Breizh – Diwan ResolutionThe Kevre Breizh – Diwan resolution called on delegates to support the call by language NGOs that the French Constitution Article 2 be amended so that it recognizes and supports the rights of linguistic minorities in the French state. Delegates supported the Resolution unanimously.

https://www.nosdiario.gal/articulo/lingua/rede-europea-igualdade-das-linguas-insta-xunta-mudar-rumbo-da-sua-politica-galego/20241110120328210464.html«>A Mesa pola Normalización Lingüística ResolutionThe A Mesa Resolution moved that ELEN back A Mesa’s call on the Galician Government to change course and start a broad social process that ensures the presence of Galego in all spaces and for all uses. The motion was supported unanimously.

https://iniciativapolasturianu.org/la-xunta-xeneral-delen-aprueba-una-resolucion-a-favor-de-la-oficialida/">Iniciativa pola Asturianu ResolutionThe Asturian Resolution called on the ELEN General Assembly to express its resounding support for the declaration of official status of the languages of Asturias; to achieve a status of equal language rights for Asturian speakers and for Galician-Asturian speakers and to also equalize the opportunities for the languages. The motion was backed unanimously.

ELEN Resolutions are implemented in the weeks following the General Assembly. Notification on Resolution votes are also distributed to key partners, the media, and other relevant stakeholders.

The final agenda item discussed the ELEN 2025 General Assembly. The Secretary-General of CIEMEN submitted a proposal for the event to be held in Catalonia as part of its 50th anniversary celebration. Delegates supported the proposal unanimously.

After the event ELEN issued the following statement: “Gure eskerrik beroenak gure lagun maiteei Euskalgintzaren Kontseilua! Our warmest thanks to our dear friends Euskalgintzaren Kontseilua for all the work to make ELEN 2024 such a resounding success, and your inspirational vision, energy and commitment for the future of Euskara.” (Eurolang 2024)